Machine for cutting spacers or slugs



Sept, 29, 1925. 1,555,280

- F. V. DUNHAM MACHINE FOR CUTTING SPACERS OR SILUGS 51195 Dec. 20. 19242 sheets-sheet 41 a W v Q" m '91 5 "III mum Q I N gnwntoz Sept. 29,1925. 1,555,280

F. v. DUNHAM momma: FOR cunme 'SPAGERS 'on swes Fi-led Doc. 20. 1924 2Sheets-Sheet 2 F v 3 Patented UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK VIRGIL DUNHAM, OF WICHITA, KA1\TSAS.

MACHINE FOR CUTTING 'SPACERS OR SLUGS.

Application filed. December 20, 1924. Serial No. 757,143.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK VIRGIL DUN- HAM, a citizen of the UnitedStates, resid- 7 ing at Wichita, and State of Kansas,

in the county of Sedgwick have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Machines for Cutting Spacers or Slugs, of which thefollowing i had to the This invention relates s a specification,reference being accompanying drawings.

to machines for cutting strips of metal transversely of the length ofthe strips into small pieces, and

particularly to a machine designed for the purpose of cutting printersrules, brasses or slugs from type metal.

I One of the objects machine of this character which provide a issimple,

either by power out rules, brasses,

thin metal molded on A further object is to provide a device of thischaracter which for other purposes of metal mg and in brass or copperstrips or from of the invention is to which may be readily operated orhand, and which will slugs or other spacers of much faster than they canbe a monotype machine. 1

is adapted to cut strips than for printwhich the length of the cuts maybe regulated to a nicety.

A still further object is chine of this character in which the strip ofthin metal may be mounted upon a reel and this strip the cutting of themov will be automatically fed to knives upon each reoiprocatlon ablecutting knife.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

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invention is illustrated in the accom panying' drawings, wherein Figure1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a strip cutting machineconstructed in accordance w ing knife;

Figure 3 ith my invention;

fragmentary perspective is a perspective view of the upper or fixedknife Figure 4 is a top plan view of the construction shown in Figure 1;

Figure 5 Flgure 6 is an end, elevation of the same; s a fragmentary topplan v1ew to provide a ma on an enlarged scale showing the knives andguides with the movable knife retracted;

Figure 7 is a like view to Figure 6 but showing the movable knifeshifted forward;

. Figure 8 is a fragmentary top plan view 0f the roller 38 and the yokefor supporting the same;

Figure 9 is an elevation partly in section showing one of the bearingsfor the roller 35.

Referring to these drawings, 10 designates a base or table having legs11, the legs preferably being angular in form and being formed at theirlower ends with feet 12 whereby they may be attached to the floor.Mounted in bearings 13 at one end ofthis table is a transverse shaft 1 1carrying at one end the means for rotating the shaft, shown as a crankwheel 15. I have shown this wheel grooved to indicate that it might alsobe driven by a pulley from any source 7 of power.

Mounted upon the shaft 1 1 is aneccentric 16. Operating betweenlongitudinally extending guides 17 is a longitudinally movable knife 18,and pivotally connected to the upper face of this knife by a bearing 19is the yoke 20 of an eccentric rod 21. This rod extends rearward and isconnected to the eccentric ring 22 which, of course, surrounds theeccentric 16. Obviously, as the shaft 1 k is rotated, the eccentric willrotate and will reciprocate the rod 21 and the knife 18 be-- tween theguides 17. This knife 18 is cut away upon its under face at its forwardend, as at 23, for apurpose to be later stated. The 5 guides 17 extendlongitudinally of the table, and mounted upon these guides and extendingtransversely of the table is the fixed knife 24:. The face of this knifewhich faces the shaft 1a is recessed, as at 25, the rear wall of therecess extending downward and forward. The lower knife has side walls 26extending beyond the end face of the knife and operating against theinner faces of the knife guides 17.

It will be obvious now that as the shaft 14 rotates, the movable knife17 will be re ciprocated past the lower or cutting edge of the fixedknife and that any strip of metal inserted in the recess 25 and feddown- 10 Ward below the lower edge of this fixed knife will be cut offand that the length of the portion thus cut off will depend upon theextent to which the strip is forced downward through this recess 25.

For the purpose of feeding a strip of material automatically downwardpast the cutting edges of the knives, I mount upon uprights 27 a shaft28 carrying a reel 29, this reel consisting of a cylindrical body andside walls of any ordinary or suitable description. Upon this reel thethin sheet metal is wound. Carried upon the uprights 27 is a supportingplate 30, and carried upon this supporting plate are the guides 31. Astrip of metal A from which the rule is to be made is fed downward fromthis reel 29 through the recess 25. This feeding is accomplished bymeans of a rubber roller 32 which is mounted upon a shaft .33, thisshaft being carried in adjustable bearings 34 upon the plate andcarrying three difierent diametered pulleys 35 over which a band 36passes, this band in turn passing over any one of three pulleys 37mounted upon the shaft 14. Opposite the roller 32 there is provided aspring pressed steel roller'38 which bears against the strip and thestrip passes between this steel roller 38 and the rubber roller 32.

For the purpose of regulating the amount of strip which is fed downwardbetween the rollers, I providea gauge rod 39 which is screwed into thelower end of the table 10 and which extends down below the same, andmounted upon this gauge rod is a collar 40 having a set screw 41 wherebythe collar is held in place, this collar carrying the up wardlyextending finger 42, which at its upper extremity extends forwardly soas to form a stop 43 against which the lower end of the strip will abut.The lower knife 17 is cut away at its forward end, as at 23, as beforeexplained, so that this upwardly extended stop may be moved int-oposition very close to the lower face of the cutting edge of the knife17 and this recess 23 will permit the reciprocating movement of theknife 18 and at the same time permit this stop to be located a veryshort distance below the under face of the knife to thus M1313 to outvery short rules, br asses or the li re.

Where this device is automatically operated, the gauge is to beadjusted, it may be assumed, close up to the line of travel of the underface of the knife 18. As the knife reciprocates, the roller 32 will berotated a predetermined distance to shift the strip downward a certainpredetermined amount. If the stop is adjusted very close to the underface of the knife 18, it is ob- 'vious that the strip cannot be fed anyfurther down thanthe stop, and though the feeding roll'er"32 will moveon the strip prising a will stop and thus a very short brass rule, slugor spacer will be cut off of the strip. If, however, the gauge isdisposed a considerable distance downward on the rod 30, then the feedwill always be a predetermined amount for each reciprocation of theknife, and if the rubber roller 32 feeds the strip down one inch, itwill be obvious that the reciprocations of the knife will out theserules onein'ch in depth and cut as many of them as necessary.

Where slugs-or leads are to be cut, the reel with its thin brass strip,guides, etc., may be'inoved entirely away and the strip of type metal,lead or the like slipped downward through the recess 25 until the end ofthe strip strikes the stop 34 and then the knifemay be operated byhandto cut off the strip of lead. It will be seen'that the roller 32, byreason of thefact that the shaft thereof is mounted in adjustablebearings 34, maybe moved entirely out of the way to permit the insertionof strips for the purpose of cutting slugs or leads, of course, removinga band from its engagement with the pulleys 35 and 37. The plurality ofdifferent diametered pulleys 35 and 37 permit the feeding roller to haveany desired ratio of drive to the ratio of the shaft 14. Thus by havingthree differently diametered rollers, means for causing three lengthsofbrass or copper strips may be cut. The thin spaces of brass or copperare only cut'72 points or one inch and lead slugs or rules above orlonger than that would be cut by using the relatively larger pulleys onthe shaft 33 than were used on the shaft 14, and also, of course, asbefore remarked, by thrusting the stri of metal down through the cutterto the stop 43 and then cutting the strip off.

While I have illustrated a construction which I have found to beparticularly effective, I do not wish to be limited thereto as it isobvious that many changes might be made in the details of thisconstruction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spiritof my invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim 1. A slug or spacer eluding a fixed knife having a recess uponone face, a reciprocating knife coacting therewith fixed knife andmoving beneath the fixed knife, means for reciprocating-the movableknife, and an adjustable stop disposed below the path of movement of themovable knife and limiting the inseition of the material through thespace between the 'two knifes and movable into position within therecess.

2. A slug or spacer cutting machine comsupporting-frame, a fixed knifemounted upon the frame, a reciprocating knife coacting with the fixedknife and cutting machine inand operating just belowthe i thereciprocating knife,

moving just below the same, guides for the reciprocating knife, meansfor reciprocating the movable knife, the face of the fixed knifeconfronting the movable knife being vertically recessed, the under faceof the forward end of the reciprocating knife being cut out, and meansdisposed beneath the path of movement of the movable knife for limitingthe insertion of the material to be cut by the movable knife, said meansin cluding a stop movable up into position close to the under face ofthe fixed knife, the cut away portion of the movable knife accommodatingsaid stop.

3. A slug or spacer cutting meachine comprising a supporting frame, afixed knife mounted upon the frame, a reciprocating ,knife coacting withthe fixed knife and same, guides for means for reciprocating the movableknife, the face of the fixed knife confronting the movable knife beingvertically recessed, and means for automatically moving a strip ofmaterial downward through said recess of the fixed knife past the pathof movement of the movable knife a predetermined amount for eachreciprocation of the movable knife.

4. A slug or spacer cutting machine comprising a supporting frame, afixed knife mounted upon the frame, a reciprocating knife coacting withthe fixed knife and moving just below the same, guides for thereciprocating knife, means for reciprocating the movable knife, the faceof the fixed knife confronting the movable knife being verticallyrecessed, means for automatically moving a strip of material downwardthrough said recess of the fixed knife past the path of movement of themovable knife a predetermined amount for each reciprocation of themovable knife, and a stop disposed below the fixed knife and the path ofmovement of the movable knife adapted in one position to engage thematerial and prevent its being shifted to the full extent, said stopbeing adjustable.

5. A slug or spacer cutting machine comprising a supporting frame, afixed knife mounted upon the frame, a reciprocating knife coacting withthe fixed knife and moving just below the same, guides for thereciprocating knife, means for reciprocating the movable knife, the faceof the fixed knife confronting the movable knife being verticallyrecessed, and means for automatically moving a strip of materialdownward through said recess of the fixed knife past the path ofmovement of the movable knife a predetermined amount for eachreciprocation of the movable knife in moving just below the verticallyrecessed, means for eluding a pair of rollers on each side of the pathof movement of the strip, and means for driving one of said rollers in afeeding direction simultaneously with the reciprocations of the movableknife.

6. A slug or spacer cutting machine comprising a supporting frame, afixed knife mounted upon the frame, a reciprocating knife coacting withthe fixed knife and moving just below the same, guides for thereciprocating knife, means for reciprocating the movable knife, the faceof the fixed knife confronting the movable knife being verticallyrecessed, means for automatically moving a strip of material downwardthrough said recess of the fixed knife past the path of movement of themovable knife a predetermined amount for each reciprocation of themovable knife including a pair of rollers on each side of the path ofmovement of the strip, means for driving one of said rollers in afeeding direction simultaneously with the reciprocations of the movableknife, a reel for supporting a strip of thin material operatively abovesaid rollers, and guides guiding material downward from said reelbetween said rollers.

7 A slug or spacercutting machine comprising a supporting frame, a fixedknife mounted upon the frame, a reciprocating knife coacting with thefixed knife and moving just below the same, guides for the reciprocatingknife, means for reciprocating the movable knife, the face of the fixedknife confronting the movable knife being automatically moving a stripof material downward through said recess of the fixed knife past thepath of movement of the movable knife a predetermined amount for eachreciprocation of the movable knife including a pair of rollers on eachside of the path of movement of the strip, means for driving one of saidrollers in a feeding direction simultaneously with the reciprocations ofthe movable knife, a reel for supporting a strip of thin materialoperatively above said rollers, guides guiding material downward fromsaid reel between said rollers, and a stop located below the path ofmovement of the reciprocating knife and dis posed in the path ofmovement of the strip fed between said rollers, said stop beingadjustable toward or from the fixed knife to thereby limit theprojection of the strip downward between said knives.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

FRANK VIRGIL DUNHAM.

